Battery terminal clamp



NOV. 29, 1932. GORMAN BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Filed Oct. 5. 1930 PatentedNov. 29, 1932 PATENT OFFICE SIDNEY GORMAN, F EDGE'WATEB, COIDRLDOBATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Application filed October 3, 1980. Serial No.480,117.

This invention relates to a terminal for attachin the battery cables toa storage battery. @torage battery terminals are exceedingly troublesomeowing to corrosive action of the battery acid. The usual terminalafterbeing in place for some time will become so corroded that it is verydifficult to remove and often the battery is damaged in the process. Thenuts and bolts employed on the usual battery terminal become corrodedaway by the acid so that they will break oil when any attempt is made toremove them.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an eflicientbattery terminal which will not employ threads, nuts, or bolts and whichwill automatically lift itself from the battery post as its fasteningdevice is loosened, regardless of corrosion.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that itcan be quickly attached or detached without the use of special tools orwrenches.

A further object of the invention is to provide a quick detachableterminal which will make a firm and positive electrical contact with thebattery post.

A still further object of the invention is to so construct the devicethat it will have a minimum of parts and no loose or independent partsto become lost.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency.These will become more apparent from the following description. I

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is hadto the accompanving drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved battery terminal.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an edge elevation thereof.

Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the inner face of the locking key.

The invention comprises a bod portion 10 provided with a suitable postho e 11 for the reception of the battery post. The body 10 may beprovided with any of the usual cable sockets such as theone'illu'strated at 12 which has an open channel 13 into which theextremity of the battery cable is soldered. A locking key 14 passesthrough the bod 10 in a plane at right angles to the axis of t e posthole 11. The locking key 14 is wedge shaped and is so positioned that asit is forced in place its an lar side will move into the post hole 11. Te latter side of the ke 14 con- C9 tains a diagonal tooth 15 extendingthe length of the key.

It can be readily seen that if the key is driven inwardly with a batterpost in the post hole 11, the tooth 15 wil engage the 63 side of thebattery post and owing to its diagonal or angular position it will actto pull the body IOdoWnWardIy-to a firm contact upon the post similar tothe action of a screw thread. When it is desired to emove 73 theterminal the key is driven outwardly. This causes the tooth 15 toreverse its action upon the battery post so as to lift the terminal andbreak it loose from any acc ulated corrosion. If the tooth 15 wereeliminated from 75 provide two relatively thin edges 17. The

edges 17 are turned outwardly after the key 14 is in position in thebody 10 so as to prevent the key from falling from place so that theentire terminal forms a single unit.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it 90, is desired to be understood that the same maybe varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent is 1. In a battery terminal having a wedge shaped key,one edge of which is adapted to engage a battery post: a. substantiallystraight longitudinally-extendin diagonal tooth formed upon said latteredge so as to engage said battery post and move said key' longitudinallyof said post as said wedge 5 shaped key is forced across said post andmeans for preventing rotation of said key in said terminal.

2. A batteryterminal comprising: a body portion having a vertical holefor the reception of a battery post, there being a horizontal passageformed through said body portion opening through one Wall of said hole;a relatively flat key slidably mounted in said passage; an angularlypositioned wedge face on said key arranged to engage said battery postwhen the latter is in position in said hole; and a longitudinal toothformed on said Wedge face, said tooth being inclined so that, as saidkey is forced into said body portion, it Will engage said post and Wedgesaid body portion downwardly thereon; and means for securing acableextremity to said battery terminal.

In testimony whereof. I afiix my signature.

SIDNEY GORMAN.

